Most top 100s in a day

[Blake]

I don't intend on doing this, it's purely curiosity, but, where in the state would it be possible to summit the most "Bolger top 100" peaks in one day,a nd what peaks would they be? Has anyone done more than three in a day? Any other experiences along these lines would be interesting to here about. I have my own personal opinion as to where you could hit the most in a day, but I'd like to hear yours as well.

[LeatherBob]

I am sure that 12, or maybe 13 are the very most possible. 13 could be unlucky.

[klenke]

Mr. Roper informed me a couple months back that Dick Kegel, who finished the Bulger Top 100 in Oct. 2, 1988, holds the record of most in a year: 41. This is simply amazing though I can see how it could be done. But since I have less than this number to do, I won't be able to approach it unless I repeat a peak. But what's the point of that?

 

I have done three in a day three times:

Saska, Emerald, and Cardinal in August 2001

Star, Courtney, and Oval in July 2002

Rahm, Custer, and Spickard in August 2003

I've done two in a day 10 other times.

I'm pretty sure JoshK last summer did Fernow, Seven Fignered Jack, and Maude in a day (after I told him it couldn't be done ).

 

I once hatched a plan to do Colchuck, Dragontail, Little Annapurna, and Enchantment in a day from the Stuart Lake Trailhead. But since I picked up the first two of these as alpine ice climbs last April, there was no longer a need to do those four in a day. I think that foursome could definitely be done in a day. If you were feeling especially speedy, you could even go over to Cannon from Enchantment and return to the SL T.H. via Cannon's NW slope. That would be five in a day! If you could manage to go in one way and out another (say in via SL T.H. and out via Snow Lake T.H. or Ingalls Creek T.H.) then you could do Cchuck, Dtail, LittleA, and McPk in a day.

 

Other three-in-day possibilities:

A. Eldorado Peak, Dorado Needle, and Klawatti Peak

B. Klawatti, Austera, and Primus

C. Mesahchie, Katsuk, and Kimtah (and maybe Cosho)

D. Sahale, Boston, and Buckner (incl. perhaps that antagonistic Horseshoe Peak)

E. Osceola, Carru, and Lago (and maybe even Blackcap too)

F. Lost, Ptarmigan, and Lago

G. Blackcap, Monument, and Lake (and maybe Lost too)

H. Switchback (Cooney), Martin, and Bigelow

I. Hoodoo, Raven Ridge (Libby), and Bigelow (two trailheads?)

J. Fernow, Seven Fingered Jack, and Maude

From a camp at Shellrock Pass and a very early start, you could even do five in a big loop: Blackcap --> Monument --> Lake --> Lost --> Lago (but you'd have to be really quick).

 

There are obviously variations of the above themes.

 

LeatherBob: 12 in a day would be impossible unless you had a helicopter or something.

[JoshK]

Yeah, Dave and I did fernow, SFJ and Maude in a day. Frenow was actually pretty cool. It felt much more "removed" than the other two and walking up through the col then across the old dying glacier is pretty neat. If you are simply trying to hit 3 or more in a day, I'm sure you could find an easier trio, however.

 

There is another peak nearby there...copper maybe? I think that is top 100 as well, but I could be wrong. I dont have a topo handy, but I wonder if it would be possible to enchain all 4.

[JoshK]

OK, I just looked at a topo. Indeed copper is about as far away from fernow as fernow is from SFJ, and maude and SFJ from each other. Copper is 8964, so it is definitely a top 1000.

 

If you were seriously looking to punish your self you could do copper->fernow->SFJ->Maude in a day. Distance wide, I'm virtually certain it's possible because we actually ended up having a lot of spare time after doing the 3 of them and we weren't really hustling too much. The difficulty looks like it might be getting over fernow's ridges and over to copper. From the topo it looks like steep terrain and copper itself looks rather rugged.

Edited January 11, 2004 by JoshK

[Norman_Clyde]

The 3-in-one-day objective of Fernow, Maude and 7FJ has been on my list for a couple of years. I looked it over on Topo, where it appeared to involve about 8000 vertical for the day. Adding Copper would up the ante considerably, probably over 10,000. Not out of reach, but moving well into the self-abuse range. Anyone salivating over this? (Once again I need a drooling graemlin. Should have saved it last time.)

[JoshK]

Norman, the Fernow->SFJ->Maude has a lot of distance that I didn't realize when we did it. THat was probably a bigger factor than the elevation. Despite the topo distances, Fernow and SFJ seem *much* farther apart than Maude and SFJ.

 

I just *might* be able to be talked into trying the foursome with Copper added.

[marylou]

But since I have less than this number to do, I won't be able to approach it unless I repeat a peak. But what's the point of that?

 

Experiencing nature?

[klenke]

Okay, Josh the Dreamer and Barry the Oneiric one, this time I'm going to say it can't be done. Prove me wrong. Come on, I dare ya! You couldn't do Maude, Seven Fingered Jack, Fernow, and Copper in a day and return to the same "camp" or starting point. It may be possible if you go out a different way (like out to Holden). The terrain from Fernow to Copper is very rugged (there are deep notches along the ridge). I've done all four of these and if you were to compare the easiest routes of each, Copper is definitely the most difficult of the four. See the following pictures:

Fernow Group from Greenwood

Fernow Group from Genius

Fernow Group from Fortress

Fernow Group from South Spectacle

Fernow Group from Saska

Fernow Group from Bigelow

Finally, here is a picture of Copper from Fernow itself:

THIS IS SO COOL, MY POST WAS ENTERED AT 4:20. TIME TO LIGHT UP. OH WAIT, I DON'T DO THAT STUFF. SHOOT!

Edited January 12, 2004 by klenke

[Blake]

I was eyeing a run up Fernow from Holden Village next summer, it looks doable in a day hike/scramble from the trailhead. I think that the area where you could do the most in a day would be in the sawtooths where things seem less icy and snowy so you can get around quicker. Gray/Courtney/Star/Oval/Bigelow/Cooney and a few others are all grouped together *fairly* close and don't require roping up.

[Gripped]

Come up the Chiwawa River Valley, hit Fortress and Chiwawa, then cross the ridge next to Red Mountain, climb Dumbell and greenwood. Come out the Phelps Creek Drainage.

 

(a couple miles on the road... car, bike or hike )

[Tod]

A cool post revisted...

 

Klenke, IMHO I think Maude-SFJ-Fernow-Copper could be done in a day (from a single starting point/camp).

 

-Camp at Ice Lakes or somewhere east of Maude

-Climb Maude's South Shoulder

-Descend via the West Gulley

-Climb SFJ via the SW Slope

-Descend SW slope and traverse over/around to Fernow

-Climb Fernow via the SW Route

-Descend via East Ridge

-Go over East Ridge col to Copper Creek Basin

-Climb Copper via East Face

-Descend Copper via East Face

-Go over East Ridge col to Entiat Glacier and over to Ice Lakes

 

I've seen/heard of enough people doing Maude-SFJ and Maude-SFJ-Fernow car to car, I don't see why adding Copper with a camp somewhere nearby wouldn't be doable.

 

Tod

[JoshK]

Klenke, IMHO I think Maude-SFJ-Fernow-Copper could be done in a day (from a single starting point/camp)....

 

I've seen/heard of enough people doing Maude-SFJ and Maude-SFJ-Fernow car to car, I don't see why adding Copper with a camp somewhere nearby wouldn't be doable.

 

Tod

 

As far as I know, only one team has ever done all three car-to-car (insert super chestbeating smiley face thingy. ). Doing the 3 plus copper is totally doable. I honestly dont even think it would be stretching it that much. Fernow-SFJ-Maude was quite a bit easier than I was expecting. There have certainly been harder day long peakbagging trips.

 

Also, FWIW, Ice lakes is really cool for those who haven't been there. It is certainly worth the visit.

 

For clarification, are we talking car-to-car or camp-to-camp? We obviously could have done the 3 9000s much easier from a camp in leroy basin.

[klenke]

Ha ha, Tod. All four in the same day! Have at it.

Copper Peak is not a trivial climb. Its east side route would take at least 4 hours round trip...if you were hauling ass.

 

And where are your Dan - split times for your itinerary?

[j_b]

you may have heard of peter croft's stuart range traverse in a day from icicle creek (mid-80's). i believe he climbed stuart (north ridge), sherpa, argonaut, colchuck, dragontail, and prussik.

[JoshK]

Klenke, another 4-in-a-day, building on your 3-in-a-day list would be eldo-klawtti-austera-primus. If we dont care if it's one way and we simply define day as any 24 hours then we certainly did that when we saw you a few weeks ago. We climbed eldo fairly late the evening before then the other three the next day. granted, you would nail us on not scrambling the true rockpile on austera , but I am simply saying the timing works.

 

While we are at it, forbidden->boston->sahale->buckner could definitely be done in a day. Probably a rather painful day however. In fact, if you count horseshoe as a peak (I dont know if it fits your criteria or not) that would make 5.

 

if You are allowed to use a high camp vs. car to car, camp somewhere in boston basin. climb forbidden's west ridge, then descend the NE ledges to the boston glacier. Traverse the boston to it's 8600 foot col between boston and sahale. climb those two then drop down and traverse to buckner and horseshoe. traverse back to the col, rap down and return to your camp. I'd probably take a rap rope and plan on soloing everything for speed, but I'm sure you could still do it with runninb belays on the exposed parts. From what I have heard boston is a crumbly pile of shit so you may need to take some time on that one.

Edited April 28, 2004 by JoshK

[JoshK]

you may have heard of peter croft's stuart range traverse in a day from icicle creek (mid-80's). i believe he climbed stuart (north ridge), sherpa, argonaut, colchuck, dragontail, and prussik.

 

prusik isn't that big so that would make 5 in a day, still very cool. swap prusik for mcclellan and little anna and you've got 6 in a day! very painful but doable!

 

I still want to know if it has to be a loop back to the same starting place.

Edited April 28, 2004 by JoshK

[j_b]

i don't know if anyone decides what it has to be but different entry and exit points make for a much more esthetic (and satisfying) traverse imo.

[klenke]

I think however you wish to do the peaks is up to you, whether camp-to-camp, car-to-car, ingressA-to-egressB, or whatever. You could even take a helicopter but I think we all know that would be meaningless in terms of comparisons and possibilities to foot travel.

 

The real fatuity in such an emprise to knock off so many peaks in one day is in the physical punishment that you would have to endure. You guys are starting to sound like real peakbaggers. Ah me!

 

Maybe, it's not about how many could be done in a 24-hour period but how many you could do in a single trip where you didn't stop to camp or rest in such a way that you were sleeping. If you kept moving, like Hans Florine in the Sierra, you could keep climbing indefinitely...until you fell dead from exhaustion.

 

It's a real sign that Americans work too much (well, except me) such that they have to try and bag as many objectives as possible in the least amount of time.

[JoshK]

It's a real sign that Americans work too much (well, except me) such that they have to try and bag as many objectives as possible in the least amount of time.

 

Even if you aren't trying to squeeze more stuff into smaller time, it can sometimes be fun to nail a bunch.

 

That dickhead mark twight always talked about how badass he was on mount hunter going like 43 hours straight. Maybe I should do a 43 hour straight peakbagging extrodinare here! Then I could write a book about my technique but basically use it to describe how I am vastly superior to the rest of you!

[cracked]

Sorry Josh, you'd have to go for 63 hours straight to compete w/twight.

[j_b]

too much suffering isn't much fun. i'd rather look at it as an opportunity for fast travel over a fair distance above treeline and have a good time while doing so. making it a short day and getting back in time for plenty of beer is much more stylin'.

[eric8]

Baker Lincoln Colfax

[Stefan]

Baker Lincoln Colfax

 

I would like to see that one.

 

Maybe Colin will do it?

[Stephen_Ramsey]

Didn't Peter Croft traverse the entire Stuart Range in a day? That must have nabbed 5 or 6 peaks in the top 100 (Stuart, Argonaut, Colchuck, Dragontail, ..., Cannon)

 

Other random factoid: Baker and Shuksan have been climbed together in the same day.

 

EDIT: Oops, just saw J_B's post. Sorry for the duplication.

Edited April 28, 2004 by Stephen_Ramsey